Ephesians 4:17-24; NKJV
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
The Old Man
1. Former conduct
2. Put off
3. Grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts
The New Man
1. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind
2. Put on the new man
3. God created your new man
4. True rightousness
5. True holiness
6. Your new conduct - see Ephesians 4:25-32
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Equipping the Saints
Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ —
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The purpose of all this is growth!
1. Numerically, as lost people are led to Jesus.
2. Spiritually, so that each member will no longer be an “infant” who is “tossed back and forth by the waves,” but that each will attain “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
3. Organically, as relationships become stronger and more mutually supportive and the whole body is “joined and held together by every supporting ligament.”
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ —
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The purpose of all this is growth!
1. Numerically, as lost people are led to Jesus.
2. Spiritually, so that each member will no longer be an “infant” who is “tossed back and forth by the waves,” but that each will attain “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
3. Organically, as relationships become stronger and more mutually supportive and the whole body is “joined and held together by every supporting ligament.”
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
How to Be One
Ephesians 4:1-6; NKJV
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
1. We must want to be like Jehovah God.
2. We must want to be one.
3. We must work to be one.
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
1. We must want to be like Jehovah God.
2. We must want to be one.
3. We must work to be one.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21; NKJV)
Able – power
Exceedingly Abundantly Above – no limit to His ability, His power – such a God can answer prayer
Power that Works in Us – the Holy Spirit (3:16), to be active, operative, to be at work
Glory – the praise, honor, and lifting up
In the Church by Christ Jesus – body/head; brothers/Elder Brother
Able – power
Exceedingly Abundantly Above – no limit to His ability, His power – such a God can answer prayer
Power that Works in Us – the Holy Spirit (3:16), to be active, operative, to be at work
Glory – the praise, honor, and lifting up
In the Church by Christ Jesus – body/head; brothers/Elder Brother
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Hidden in My Heart
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." (Ezra 7:10; NKJV)
Friday, January 25, 2013
Ephesians 3:11
"...according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord..." (Ephesians 3:11; NKJV)
God worked our His eternal purpose in time. The eternal purpose of God was accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks to Him "we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Ephesians 3:12; NKJV).
Don't lose heart (Ephesians 3:13). Pray with boldness (Ephesians 3:12). Rejoice in the the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 3:11).
God worked our His eternal purpose in time. The eternal purpose of God was accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks to Him "we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Ephesians 3:12; NKJV).
Don't lose heart (Ephesians 3:13). Pray with boldness (Ephesians 3:12). Rejoice in the the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 3:11).
Thursday, January 24, 2013
When You Read
Ephesians 3:1-7; NKJV
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles —
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
God expects us to read to His word. Because of His great love for us He has revealed Himself and a plan of salvation to us. When we read His word we can know Him and receive His grace.
Read His word. Know Him. Experience His grace.
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles —
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
God expects us to read to His word. Because of His great love for us He has revealed Himself and a plan of salvation to us. When we read His word we can know Him and receive His grace.
Read His word. Know Him. Experience His grace.
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